“Child safety locks” are present on most vehicles. In particular, vehicles with a back seat have a manual release in the outer portion of the door which is exposed by opening of the door. Typically, there is a recessed switch in the door that is actuated by a screwdriver, or key, or by hand, and switched manually from an open position where the locks function in a normal manner, or a locked position where the exposed locks in a rear door cannot be manually manipulated by a rear seat occupant.
The purpose for this type of lock is to avoid undesired opening by a child or other rear seat occupant of the rear door which might place the child or occupant at risk. Additionally, the door cannot be opened from the outside which also protects the child from external unwanted entries by strangers or the like.
While this acts to protect the child or other occupant during normal operation of the vehicle, the child locks can produce a potentially dangerous situation. For example, if there is an accident and the vehicle catches on fire, the child or any occupant from the rear seat cannot be removed from the vehicle by opening the door from the inside or outside unless the door is unlocked from a different location like a key fob or door unlock switch near front seats. In the case of a rollover accident or other accident, the passenger cannot exit nor potentially can a rescue person open the rear door for removal of the occupant.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an automated child safety device that opens upon impact.